Bill Bedenbaugh OU Media Day
Watch Oklahoma Sooners offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh meet the press at OU Media Day, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023.
Transcript
00:00 this summer he did more things full speed. But you know you just see
00:05 movements out there on the field as compared to what you saw on tape.
00:10 What do you think about your center position? It's always such an important
00:13 position going into the spring. Yeah I feel good you know rain you got Nate
00:17 Anderson had the best spring that he's, I assume he's at the best point since
00:23 he's been here. Didn't have an unbelievable spring but I think this
00:28 summer he's really started to hopefully gain some confidence. He's bigger I think
00:34 he was 309 pounds and not that that's the end-all be-all but that's gonna help
00:39 him. He's thicker, he's got more mass on him, always been an athletic guy just has
00:45 to continue to master the offense and you know and then you got Bates and you
00:50 got Troy Everett so I feel good. What does the left guard look like specifically?
00:55 Like who's there? Yeah today Savion, Troy Everett, Heath Osate is gonna play
01:01 left guard and then CJ Compton. What do you like about Everett?
01:08 You know he's you know a tough guy, very competitive, smart. You know I just you
01:16 know somebody asked and you know where I got sold on him was watching the A&M
01:20 game. It was his first game you know ever playing against a good D-line and he
01:25 did really well you know so and he's got multiple years left you know he loves
01:30 playing football. Tough guy, doesn't say much you know just comes to work every
01:34 day. So Schaefer will probably be at the right guard spot? He will be at the right guard.
01:38 You mentioned Andrew a little bit, just how have you seen him grow here? You know I think there's just the
01:44 natural maturation of everybody you know and obviously having to be a leader the
01:49 last couple years he's grown in that way, understands the offense, has gotten
01:56 his body to a better point, healthy. He's always been he's been injured and not
02:01 really anything of his doing. There's some freak things that happen, he had a
02:05 shoulder all that but he's you know he's completely healthy now so looking for a
02:09 big year from him. You got two guys in NFL camps right now and you got one that
02:14 was a first-rounder. Could you be more possibly athletic this year at tackle
02:17 than you were last year? That's a great question actually we got three with
02:21 Chris Murray. You know we could quite honestly. I mean Tyler Guyton I had and
02:31 again he started five games but potential athleticism everything you want
02:37 me six seven he's 327 pounds he looks like he's 290 pounds you know I mean
02:43 it's he's got freakish qualities now he's got to do it and he's got to do it
02:47 at a high level consistently you know he was at the end of spring he was so much
02:53 better than even when he ended the year last year and I anticipate him the first
02:59 day we step out there Thursday being much better than when we ended the
03:02 spring and if he continues to do that every day he got a chance to be really
03:08 good. What's the biggest growth area you want to see from him from when you all left off in the spring?
03:15 I think that that's a good question but like with offensive line it's you know
03:20 obviously yeah you got to go this step this step this step but it's everything
03:23 and it's it's constant you know it's you've met as an offensive lineman you've
03:28 never arrived unfortunately I mean that's just the that's the nature of the
03:33 position there's so many different things that go on even within a play you
03:39 know and but the biggest thing was really learning and understanding the
03:47 playbook I mean that's you know that's the most important thing the guys got
03:50 all the tools and traits to be an elite player but I think he's and he was in the
03:55 spring you know and he'll be better this year they did obviously a lot of
04:00 meetings on their own we've had some as coaches about to have one today you know
04:05 and last year he probably couldn't answer any questions this year he can
04:11 answer all the questions about what is your assignment what is your technique
04:15 what are your fundamentals on each play you know and for him that's the most
04:20 important thing you know and then again you just and he is pretty good
04:25 technically you know can he be better yeah but and again we gotta understand
04:30 this is a guy that's played offensive line for I think three years of his life
04:35 you know he was a basketball player I think he was a dn this last year played
04:39 some tight end at the previous school I mean this is a young he's a young kid
04:43 he just turned I think 21 and then plus he's a young offensive lineman so if he
04:49 continues to work how he's worked he's just gonna get better and better all the
04:53 time
05:00 what is what does he bring to the group well and I think that's what you said
05:07 he's a smart kid he came here for a reason he was at Stanford you know and
05:13 obviously that's a really good degree but he came here to get to the next
05:18 level you know I mean he's gonna get a degree from Stanford I mean guys got all
05:22 A's he probably gets A's without even trying you know and you know so that he
05:29 works extremely hard it's important to him like I said that before he's more
05:34 athletic than I anticipated coming in so you know he's got all the the qualities
05:39 you need to be a great player collectively coach